About Us
The Autistic Innovator was founded August 14, 2021 in the US by Ashley Lauren Spencer, an AuDHD & neurodivergent entrepreneur with a passion for serving the autistic and neurodivergent communities. I created The Autistic Innovator with the mission of helping autistic & neurodivergent people find self-acceptance through finding the right stim products for them.
2021 Self-Employment as the Only Method of Survival
When I created The Autistic Innovator in 2021, I was stuck in a poverty wage job realizing I had absolutely no way out of poverty. If I wanted out, I was going to have to hustle my way out. I'm too autistic, too ADHD, and my low end of average intelligence got me fired from nearly every job I've had for being "too slow" and "too dumb" to keep up with the job. This store, The Autistic Innovator, is my only method of survival, and it's enabled me to take care of myself by myself for the very first time in my life, which took until I was 39 years old.
The Autistic Innovator was built both out of survival necessity and a way to help our community that I love so deeply and genuinely. I have been fortunate that over the years this store that I built all on my own, while going through the hardest of times, has helped more autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent people than I'll ever know.
The Autistic Innovator is my heart and soul and every expression and drop of love I have in my heart, which I have given entirely to our community.
At 41 years old already, I'm behind on the traditional timeline of what society says we should be like, act like, and live like by the 40's years, but I am fortunate to serve something greater than myself through The Autistic Innovator.
My Care Standards
As someone who understands the unique needs of our autistic and neurodivergent communities, I have carefully curated and designed a one-of-a-kind store for autistic & neurodivergent people that sells fidget toys, fidget jewelry, chew necklaces, plushies, clothing, and more. I also created a range of books and planners, along with the Heart Chew Necklace and custom made Affirmation Spinner Ring exclusively designed and manufactured with love for our community.
The Autistic Innovator is continuously growing and has expanded to storing popular products in my home and shipping them myself. Items are stored in sealed containers with an air purifier running 24/7 and daily vacuuming to make sure everything is protected from dust and cat hair to keep high quality products clean and pristine. I am very proud to finally be able to get orders delivered faster to US customers, along with offer better shipping options for customers in Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Autistic Innovator Standards
At The Autistic Innovator, I believe that everyone should have access to high-quality fidget products, regardless of their budget. That's why I offer a wide range of products at low prices, making them accessible to everyone.
I personally test the products in The Autistic Innovator to ensure they are of the highest quality, and put great emphasis on creating a good customer experience with the items they purchase. By empathetic nature, I am constantly thinking about how a customer will feel in everything I do down to the smallest detail.
The Curator's Guarantee
While most of my Stim Products collection is curated, what you get ordering from me is a thoroughly vetted product selection tested by me to ensure everything I sell is top-quality. I also check every item for defects before packaging and shipping it to you.
Outside of the Stim Products collection, everything else are original products you can't find anywhere else.
About Me
As a neurodivergent, autistic and ADHD adult with a traumatic brain injury, I have dedicated my whole heart and my business to supporting people of all backgrounds on the autistic and neurodivergent spectrums and beyond.
My Commitment to Truth, Honesty, and Total Transparency
My autistic brain is hardwired for transparency. I remember the shock I felt as a 10 year old child when I first realized that lying even existed. It simply didn't compute with how I saw the world. Until I was 10 years old, I thought the only thing that existed was the truth. Today, that same unfiltered honesty is the foundation of The Autistic Innovator.
This store isn't just a business, it’s an extension of my commitment to the truth. Because I cannot turn off my autistic need for justice and accuracy, I run this shop with 100% transparency. I believe our community deserves the raw, honest truth about the products we use to help us in our daily lives. When you shop here, you are getting a curated selection vetted by a brain that refuses to settle for anything less than the highest standard of integrity.
My Commitment to Market Safety
I believe that advocacy is more than just words; it's about action. Part of my mission is to continuously monitor the evolving sensory market to ensure that the information I provide remains the gold standard for our autistic and neurodivergent community. By maintaining direct relationships with specialized manufacturers and performing rigorous safety audits, I work to ensure that every tool on this site meets the high expectations of the autistic and neurodivergent community. I am dedicated to providing a space where safety and transparency are never sacrificed for marketing trends.
Sensory Needs Don't Have an Expiration Date
When I started The Autistic Innovator in 2021, I had a simple mission: to help fellow autistic and neurodivergent adults find the tools they needed to navigate a world that wasn't built for us. But over the years, I realized that the sensory gap was much wider than I first imagined.
I saw parents struggling to find honest safety data for their children. I saw teenagers, often the most ignored group in our community, searching for tools that felt more mature but met their high-intensity sensory preferences.
The Standard of Care: The 2025 Audit
This year, I decided that good enough wasn't enough. I've spent many 12 to 14 hours work days auditing every single item in this shop to ensure I am setting the highest standard for safety and transparency.
The Autistic Innovator: 2026 Material & Safety Standards
As an Autistic & ADHD-Owned and Operated brand, I do not answer to shareholders or ad-revenue targets; I answer to the neurodivergent community. Because our safety is non-negotiable, I have implemented a site-wide Engineering & Material Audit for 2026:
- The Age Standard: I have moved beyond the generic "small parts warning: not for children younger than 3 years old" toy ratings. When creating minimum recommended ages, I factor in all possible hazards that could come from the sensory product, what age could responsibly care for it, and physical dexterity at every age.
- Precision Material Science: I ensure that all sensory products, clothing, and more, are made with the best materials to improve our sensory experience. When testing sensory products, I factor in every facet of our sensory experiences to determine whether a product is high-quality enough, durable enough, and will genuinely help us in our daily lives.
- Autistic-Curated Sensory Profiles: Every item is hand-tested for "Sensory Feedback" (Quiet, Clicky, Tactile, and Pain Stim) to ensure they serve as functional tools, not just toys.
- Radical Honesty in Engineering: From my "Bite Force" research to my precision bearing tolerances, I provide the technical safety data you need to make an informed decision for you or your child & teen's sensory health.
- Professional-Grade Sensory Innovation: Unlike mass-market plastic fidgets, my luxury fidgets and sensory tools are engineered for longevity. As an autistic & ADHD innovator, I prioritize silent mechanics and tactile durability, providing a sophisticated sensory experience that respects the needs of autistic & neurodivergent adults.
To learn more check out my The Science of Chewelry Bite-Force and Chewelry Structural Integrity Guide.
What Age-Inclusive Means to Me:
For Parents: I provide physics-based safety knowledge, like magnet inertia and structural integrity, so you can make informed choices. My goal is to equip you with the knowledge to independently evaluate the safety of any sensory tool. I put the power back in your hands, so you can decide what is right for your child’s unique needs.
For Teens: I've curated a collection that respects your maturity while also giving you the high-quality fidgets you want.
For Adults: The Autistic Innovator continues to be the authority on professional, high-quality fidget tools that fit into your life.
This isn't just a store update, it’s my promise to you. Whether you are 3 or 103, you deserve sensory tools that are high-quality, age-appropriate, and chosen with compassion.
My Commitment to Customers
As a one-owner shop, I am committed to providing fast and friendly customer service to all customers. I take pride in my ability to connect with the autistic and neurodivergent communities and understand our community's needs, and I am always looking for ways to improve The Autistic Innovator's product selection and better serve all customers.
Thank you for choosing The Autistic Innovator. I am proud to be a part of the autistic and neurodivergent community, and to provide a safe and welcoming space for all adults, teens, and kids to find the products they need to thrive.
Featured In:
Collabs.io 2023 Interview with Ashley Lauren Spencer, The Autistic Innovator